Can-righting machine.



M. n. BLAKESLEE.

CAN RIGHTING' MACHINE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED FEB. 26, 1906.

PATENTED FEB. 25,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

M. D. BLAKES-LEE. (JAN RIGHTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

ma MORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON; n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERTON D. BLAKESLEE, OF OAZENOESEI V YORK, iTSSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HENRY BURDEN, SECOND, OF OAZENOVIA, NEW YORK.

CAN-RIGHTING MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed February 26. 1906. Serial No. 303.004-

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERToN D. BLAKES- LEE, of Oazenovia, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can-Righting Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in can-righting machines to which the cans may be fed promiscuously andin which they are automatically brought to an upright position with the open ends at the top, and allowed to gravitate through a suitable chute ready to be taken up by a conveyer, not shown, and carried to a can filler, or to any other machine or place where it may be necessary to supply cans with the open ends at the top.

My object, therefore, is to provide a machine wherein a plurality of empty unsealed cans may be automatically brought to an upright position with their open ends at the top, irrespective of the position of the can when fed into the machine, and to simultaneously deposit the cans right side up, and preferably side by side, in a straight row upon a suitable bed or conveyer belt whereby they may be fed in filling position to a filling machine. In other words, the broad object is to automatically bring the cans to an upright position with their open sides at the top ready for the filler without the aid of manual labor.

Other more specific objects will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan of my improved can-righting machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the machine seen in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on lines 33, and 44, Fig. 1, the central portion of the machine seen in Fig. 4, being broken away. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the action of one of the entrant fingers and a can with its open end presented thereto.

In carrying out the objects stated, I provide an elongated transversely movable bedplate 1, which in this instance is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, and forms a continuation of an inclined raceway 2 along which the cans, as a, roll by gravity, one after another, upon the bed-plate 1 until the first advancing can encounters a limiting stop 3 at the end of the bed-plate 1 opposite to that at which the inclined raceway -2 is located. This bed-plate is sufficiently long to accommodate a number of, in this instance twelve, cans, side by side in juxtaposition with their open ends facing in one direction, or the opposite direction, accordingly as they maybe promiscuously fed upon and along the inclined raceway 2-.

This device is, of course, to be used for righting empty cans of uniform size, and therefore, the distances between centers as they rest upon the bed-plate 1 are substantially equal, but in order that they may be positively and accurately centered a uniform distance from center to center to facilitate the proper centering of the righting fingers hereinafter described, I provide a series of, in this instance twelve, separating blades -4 which are mounted upon and rigidly secured to a horizontal rock-shaft 5-- and extend laterally in parallel vertical planes directly over the bed-plate 1. These separating blades 4 are spaced a uniform distance apart substantially equal to the outside diameter of the cans and in vertical alinement with the meeting faces of said cans whenthe latter are resting upon the bed-plate with the first advancing can against the abutment 3. While the cans for feeding forwardly from the raceway 2 upon the bed-plate 1- until the first can by full lines in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, thereby positively spacing and holding said cans a uniform distance apart, the abutment 3 being adjustable automatically at the proper time to bring the meeting faces of the cans into approximate registration with the overhanging supporting blades preparatory to the descent of the latter so as to avoid undue friction or strain upon the said blades and their operating mechanism. As soon as the blades 4 are brought down between the cans, the bed-plate 1 which normally supports the cans is withdrawn transversely from under the cans in the direction indicated by arrow X, and during such withdrawal of the bed-plate, the ends of the cans facing the direction of withdrawal are held from similar movement by an abutment 6. Simultaneously with the withdrawal of the can-supporting-bed -1 from under the cans, a series of can-righting fingers 7, one for each can, are advanced against the centers of the adjacent ends of the cans.

It is obvious that if the cans are fed promiscuously in the raceway 2- the open ends of some of them will face in one direction, or toward the righting-fingers 7, while the open ends of others will face in the opposite direction, or toward the abutment 6-, so that those having their openings facing the righting-fingers 7 will be entered by said fingers, thereby temporarily supporting the open ends of the cans until the bed-plate 1 is entirely withdrawn from under the opposite ends of such cans, whereupon the bottom ends of these cans will be caused to tilt downwardly by gravity and finally slide off from the ends of the righting-fingers right side up. On the other hand, if the bottom or closed end of the can is toward the fingers 7, the latter, which are movable en dwise, under a light spring-pressure, will simply abut against the closed ends of the cans, but not with sufficient pressure to support these ends of the cans so that as the bed-plate 1 is withdrawn rearwardly, the closed ends of the cans which face the rightingfingers, and from which the underlying support 1 is first withdrawn, are allowed to tilt downwardly upon the receding edge of the plate, thereby allowing such cans to fall right side up. It is now evident that as the bed-plate l is withdrawn rearwardly, all of the cans which were previously supported thereon are simultaneously precipitated right side up through suitable openings in the frame of the machine, and thence into suitable hoppers or individual chutes, as 8, which are located directly under the bed-plate *1 and beneath the spaces between the separating blades 4.

The movement of the bed-plate 1-; separating blades 4- and righting fingers 7 are synchronized so that the blades 4 and fingers 7 are simultaneously forced into operative position, and imme diately afterward the bed plate 1 is moved from under the cans, the blades servmg to register the center of the cans with the fingers 7 while the latter serve to enter the openings in the tops of the cans which may face that way to temporarily support the tops of the cans and allow their bottom ends to gravitate downwardly as soon as the bed-plate is entirely withdrawn from under said cans. It is clearly evident that the bottoms of the cans facing the fingers -7- afford no support, and consequently, the bottoin ends which may face the fingers will tilt downwardly and, therefore bring the cans into an upright position with the open end of the top, as the bed-plate 1 is moved rearwardly. t

The means for reciprocating the bed-plate back and forth to and from a position under the cans, preferably consists of a bell-crank lever -9- fulcrumed at ---l0 to a suitable frame A and having one arm-pivotally attached at 11 to, the front end of the bed-plate 1 while the other arm is ad justably connected by a link -12- to a suitable catch or abutment -13, best seen in Fig. 2. This catch or abutment 13- normally lies in the path of, and is engaged by a pin or stud 14- which is secured to a revolving disk -15 on a shaft 16. As the disk 15 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow y-, the pin or stud 14 engages and elevates the catch or abutment -13, thereby rocking the bell crank 9 a sufficient distance to move the bed-plate 1-- rearwardly from under the cans, said catch being guided against lateral displacement between suitable arms 17, and as soon as the bed-plate 1 is moved to its extreme rearward position from under the cans previously resting thereon, said catch is tripped from engagement with the pin or stud --14 by a shoulder -18- on the disk 15 thereby allowing the catch The righting-fingers --7 are rigidly se- I cured to a rocking frame -20 having a lengthwise slot 21 which receives the fulcrum pin 2 2-. This rocking-frame -2 0- is eccentrically pivoted at 23 to a rotary disk 24-- which is mounted upon a shaft 2 5 having a pinion 26 meshing with a mutilated gear 27 on the shaft 16. The fulcrum-pin 22- for the frame 20 is rigidly mounted upon the frame A- and enters the slot 21 to form a bearing upon which the frame 20- is oscillated and simultaneously reciprocated by the eccentric 24 to move the fingers 7 into and out of engagement with the adjacent ends of the cans a--.

The fingers -7-. are slidable endwise in suitable apertures -28 in the frame --20, each against the action of a comparatively light spring 29 so that when the fingers -7- are advanced forwardly into engagement with the closed ends of the cans, such fingers may be allowed to yield endwise against the action of their springs -29, but when the cans are arranged with their open ends toward the finger 7. the latter enter said openings, thereby holding the open ends of the cans up until the supclosed ends of the cans to tilt downwardly first, whereupon they slide off from. the fingers 7-- and fall into the chute 8 right side up.

The shaft 16 may be driven from any source of power, not shown, and transmits intermittent motion to the shaft 25- through the medium of the gears 26 and 27-, the gear 27 being of substantially twice the diameter of the gear 26 and having practically half of its teeth omitted, while the gear 26 has practically the same number of teeth as the gear 27, and is, therefore rotated one complete revolution during half of one revolution of the shaft 16 and remains at rest during the other half revolution of said shaft 16.

The pin 14 and gear teeth of the gear -27, both of which are driven by the shaft 16, are so arranged with reference to each other and to the catch 13, as to begin to rotate the pinion 26 at about the same time that the pin 14- is brought into engagement with the catch 13 so that the fingers 7- are advanced from their normal position seen in Fig. 2, against the cans at about the same time that the cansupporting bed -1 begins to move rearwardly, although the fingers are caused to advance to a greater speed than the speed of withdrawal of the can-supporting bed, owing to the relative sizes of the driving and driven gears -27 and 26.

The normal position of the frame 20 and its fingers 7 is substantially midway between its extremes, that is, the disk 24 is at rest while the pin -23 is on its upward quarter-turn for advancing the fingers toward the cans and immediately upon the engagement of the catch 13 by the pin 14 the disk 24-- begins to rotate, causing the frame 20 and it's fingers 7 to assume the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 upon the first quarter turn of the disk 24, during which operation the open ends of the .cans which may be engaged by the fingers 7 are elevated by the latter, as best seen in Fig. 3, thereby drawing the bottoms of the cans forwardly so that by the time the bed-plate is withdrawn from under the cans the latter are in a position to fall into the chutes S right side up. The

catch 13 remains in engagement with the finger 13 during practically a quarter of a revolution of the disk 15 or a half revolution of the disk 24-, whereupon it is released and the can-supporting bed -1 is allowed to return to its normal position so that duringthe next one-quarter revolution of the disk 24 when the frame -20 and fingers 7 are drawn to their extreme forward positions away from the cans the separating blades 4 are elevated to the position shown by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, to permit the entire series of cans to roll down the raceway -2 and onto the bed-plate 1. In order to efiect this elevation of the blades 4 I provide the shaft -5 with a crank-arm 32, which is connected by a chain 33 to a bellcrank lever.34, which in turn, is pivoted at -35 to a sliding link 36. This link 36 has one end pivotally connected at 37 to a second bell-crank lever 38 and its other end is connected by a chain 39 to the pin 23 on the disk 24. These bell-crank levers 34 and -38 are connected to the can-limiting stop 3 so that when the pin 23 is drawn to its extreme forward position, the link 36 is drawn endwise by the chain 39, thereby rocking both bell-cranks 34- and -38 to force the can limiting stop 3 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig.- 4, at the same time that the chain 33 acts upon the arm 34 to rock the shaft 5 to simultaneously force all of the blades 4 upwardly.

In order that the blades may be held in their up -position a sufficient length of time to permit the cans to feed upon and fill the bed-plate -1, the gear -26 has a portion of its teeth removed at -40 so as to allow said pinion to temporarily rest when the frame 20- and fingers 7 are in their extreme forward position, but after sufficient time has elapsed to permit the cans to ride upon the bed plate l a finger 41 on the gear 27 is brought into engagement with a pin 42 on the gear -26 to again bring the teeth of the gear 26 into mesh with those on the gear 27, thereby returning the disk 24 and finger supporting frame -20 to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position the disk -24 and frame -20 are at rest owing to the absence of the gear teeth of the gear 27. As the frame -20 is restored to its normal position the tension on the chain 39 ismelaxed, thereby allowing the descent, by gravity, of the blades 4 between the cans, and at the sametime rocking the crank-arm 32 upwardly, thus tensioning the chain 33 and rocking the bell-cranks 34 and 38- to return the can-limiting stop 3 to its normal position ready for a repetition of the operation previously described.

What I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a reciprocatory bed-plate and means for feeding the cans thereon, in combination with means for forcing the bed-plate out from under the cans, additional means synchronized with the first named means for entering the open ends of the cans facing in one direction, and temporarily supporting said open ends while the bed-plate is being withdrawn from under the cans, whereby the cans which have their open ends temporarily supported are caused to fall bottom downward, and further means for restoring the bed-plate to its normal position for receiving the cans.

2. In a device ofthe character described, a series of upright can chutes, a can-support ing plate movable back and forth across the tops of said chutes, means to feed the cans thereon, a series of fingers movable into and out of engagement with one end of the cans, whereby the fingers will be caused to enter the openings in said cans, and means for actuating said fingers forwardly and upwardly.

3. In a machine of the character described, a can-supporting bed, means to feed the cans upon the bed, means to move the bed out from under the cans, additional means to return the bed to its normal position and an oscillatory sliding frame having a series of yielding fingers engaging the adjacent open ends of the-cans for tilting the latter rightside up as said bed is returned to its normal position.

4. In a can-righting machine, a can-supporting bed, means to feed the cans upon the ed, separating blades movable into and out of position between the cans while on the bed-plate, means for forcing the bed-plate out from under the cans, and additional means for entering the open ends of the cans having their open ends facing in one direction to temporarily support said open ends while the bed-plate is being withdrawn from under the cans, whereby such cans are caused I to fall bottom downward through the space previously occupied by the bed-plate.

5. In a machine of the character described,

a can-supporting bed and means to feed the cans thereon, in combinationwith a reciprocatory frame, fingers slidable thereon and movable into the can openings which may face the fingers, and means for actuating said frame, whereby the fingers are caused to elevate the open ends of the cans immediately after entering their openings.

6. In a machine of the character described, a slidable can-supporting bed and means to feed the cans thereon, a limiting stop at one end of the bed, separating blades movable between the cans while on the bed-plate, fingers movable into the can openings which may face the fingers for temporarily supporting the open ends of the cans, additional means for moving the bed-plate out from under the cans while the fingers are in said openings, whereby the cans are caused to fall through the space previously occupied by the bed-plate with their bottoms downward, said fingers being withdrawn from the cans by the same means which move them into engagement therewith, and additional means for elevating the separating blades.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of February, 1906.

MERT ON D. BLAKESLEE.

Witnesses H. E. CHASE, MILDRED W. Now. 

